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In a brief video address, he said: “Israel carried out a very broad attack against Iranian targets in Syria.

"We are in the midst of a protracted battle and our policy is clear: We will not allow Iran to entrench itself militarily in Syria.”

It was the heaviest Israeli barrage in Syria since the start in 2011 of its civil war, in which Iranians, allied Shi'ite militias and Russian soldiers have deployed in support of President Bashar al-Assad.

World War 3: Israel hit back hard against what it said was Iranian aggression

The IDF struck an SA22 aerial interception system as part of a wide-scale attack against Iranian military sites

IDF

“They need to remember the saying that if it rains on us, it'll storm on them. I hope we've finished this episode and everyone understood.”

The European Union called reports about Iranian strikes against Israeli army posts from inside Syria "extremely worrying" and said Israel had the right to defend itself.

It also called on all regional actors to show restraint and avoid any escalation.

Federica Mogherini, the EU’s foreign policy chief, said: “Reports about last night's Iranian attacks against Israeli army posts from inside Syria, to which Israel responded by striking against Iranian targets in Syria, are extremely worrying.”

Israel said it had attacked nearly all of Iran's military infrastructure in Syria on Thursday after Iranian forces fired rockets at Israeli-held territory for the first time in the most extensive military exchange ever between the two adversaries.

Middle East chaos as rockets shoot across Syria

Thu, May 10, 2018

Middle East chaos as rockets shoot across Syria.

Theresa May said in a statement: ”The Prime Minister condemned the Iranian rocket attacks against Israeli forces, and said we strongly support Israel's right to defend itself against Iranian aggression.”

The confrontation came two days after the United States announced its withdrawal, with Israel's encouragement, from a 2015 nuclear accord with Iran.

The British statement said May and Netanyahu "agreed it was vital for the international community to continue working together to counter Iran's destabilising regional activity, and for Russia to use its influence in Syria to prevent further Iranian attacks".

It added that May had "reiterated our position on the Iran nuclear deal, noting that we and our European partners remain firmly committed to ensuring the deal is upheld, as the best way of preventing Iran from developing a nuclear weapon".

A French foreign ministry spokesman warned Iran 'against any temptation for regional dominance', something which French foreign minister Jean-Yves Le Drian would discuss with his Iranian counterpart Mohammad Javad Zarif next week.